213 Terrill Building
570 Main Street
Burlington, VT 05401
United States
- Ph.D., University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 2020
- B.S., West Virginia Wesleyan College, 2016
Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Areas of expertise
Virology, Immunology, Metabolism, Disease ecology, One Health
BIO
Dr. Rebekah Honce is a virologist whose research focuses on emerging and re-emerging viruses of pandemic potential, with particular emphasis on how viruses adapt and cause disease across animal and human hosts. Her work is grounded in a One Health framework, addressing challenges at the intersections of agriculture, wildlife, and global public health.
After her undergraduate studies in biology, Dr. Honce completed her doctoral training at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2020, followed by postdoctoral research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. Across these training environments, she developed an interdisciplinary research program focused on host–virus interactions and emerging infectious diseases at the human–animal interface. She joined the Department as an Assistant Professor in 2026.
The Honce Laboratory integrates field-based studies with experimental approaches to investigate viral reservoir biology, immune and metabolic responses to infection, and mechanisms underlying cross-species transmission. By studying these processes across diverse hosts and across biological scales, her research aims to inform strategies that protect animal and human health, strengthen agricultural food systems, and enhance pandemic preparedness.
Publications
Bio
Dr. Rebekah Honce is a virologist whose research focuses on emerging and re-emerging viruses of pandemic potential, with particular emphasis on how viruses adapt and cause disease across animal and human hosts. Her work is grounded in a One Health framework, addressing challenges at the intersections of agriculture, wildlife, and global public health.
After her undergraduate studies in biology, Dr. Honce completed her doctoral training at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2020, followed by postdoctoral research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. Across these training environments, she developed an interdisciplinary research program focused on host–virus interactions and emerging infectious diseases at the human–animal interface. She joined the Department as an Assistant Professor in 2026.
The Honce Laboratory integrates field-based studies with experimental approaches to investigate viral reservoir biology, immune and metabolic responses to infection, and mechanisms underlying cross-species transmission. By studying these processes across diverse hosts and across biological scales, her research aims to inform strategies that protect animal and human health, strengthen agricultural food systems, and enhance pandemic preparedness.